Modi receives Maori ceremonial welcome during New Zealand visit

AUCKLAND: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a traditional Maori powhiri at Government House in Auckland during his official visit to New Zealand.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Modi had been formally welcomed during the visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm ceremonial welcome at the Government House in Auckland. He was honoured with a traditional Maori powhiri reflecting New Zealand's rich indigenous heritage and cultural values.

Modi arrived in New Zealand on Friday night after a trip that included Indonesia and Australia, where he signed agreements. His visit is described as the first by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in 40 years.

The visit comes at a time when anti-Indian sentiment has been increasing in New Zealand and when a proposed free-trade agreement between the two countries has created strains within the country’s ruling coalition. The two sides have moved closer on security matters, signing a defence cooperation arrangement and committing to stronger work on maritime safety amid shared concerns over stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Migration debate and community concerns

Growing migration from India has become a contentious issue in New Zealand’s immigration debate. Indian New Zealanders have reported increased racial abuse, while politicians including Winston Peters’ New Zealand First party have called for tighter controls on migrants.

292,000 people identified as Indian in New Zealand’s 2023 census, out of the country’s population of 5.3 million.

Background to the Maori welcome

The Maori are New Zealand’s indigenous people, with origins traced to eastern Polynesia around 800 CE. Their traditional accounts describe migration to the islands, including a 14th-century arrival of a great fleet from the mythical homeland of Hawaiki.